When the deacon yanked off his spectacles, and Captain Mayo turned amazed eyes to her, she put her hands to her face and ran out of the store, sobbing. She was only a girl! She had no more resources left with which to meet that situation in men"s affairs.
Mayo"s impulse was to follow, but the deacon checked him.
"I ain"t going to be made a fool of no longer in this, even to make three hundred dollars," he rasped.
"A fool! What do you mean?"
"You go settle it with her."
"What has Polly Candage got to do with this business?"
"It"s her money."
"You mean to say--"
"She drawed her money out of the bank, and horn-swoggled me into lying for her. What won"t a girl do when she"s in love with a fellow? If you "ain"t knowed it before, it"s high time you did know it!"
That last remark of the deacon"s had disgusted reference only to the matter of the money. But it conveyed something else to Captain Boyd Mayo.
He ran out of the store!
Far up the road he overtook her. She was hurrying home. When she faced him he saw tears on her cheeks, though the generous gloom of evening wrapped them where they stood. He took both her hands.
"Polly Candage, why did you risk your money on me?" he demanded.
"I knew you would succeed!" she murmured, turning her face away. "It was an--a good investment."
"When you gave it, did you--Were you thinking--Was it only for an investment, Polly?"
She did not reply.
"Look here! This last thing ought to tie my tongue, for I owe everything to you. But my tongue won"t stay tied--not now, Polly. I don"t care if there is somebody else up-country. I ought to care. I ought to respect your--"
She pulled a hand free and put plump fingers on his lips. "There is n.o.body up-country; there never has been anybody, Boyd," she whispered.
He took her in his arms, and kissed her, and held her close.
"Will you tell me one thing, now? I know the answer, sweetheart mine, but I want to hear you say it. Why did you give me all your money?"
She put her palms against his cheeks and spoke the words his soul was hungry for:
"Because I love you!"
THE END